Steel and Glass
by bananaforscale
Summary: The Earth Kingdom is crumbling, the Avatar is incapacitated, and the United Republic refuses to interfere. Family and duty through the eyes of the Great Uniter. [Kuvira-centric. Some Baavira in later chapters.] C. 5: Kuvira quells a rebellion in Chin.
1. Fallen Idols

"Did you hear about Kun?"

"Terrible, isn't it? He's a mess. Hasn't left his room since he got the news."

"Damn bandits are everywhere these days. Last week they weren't too far from _my_ village."

"They got his girl, too, you know."

_"Spirits._ I don't know what I would've done if..."

A short screech of metal sliding against marble filled the room, and it was suddenly very quiet. The guards of Zaofu abandoned their gossip and laughter and food to observe their captain warily as she stalked across the mess hall like a storm. Kuvira felt their eyes on her. She did not care. For now, she was simply grateful for their silence.

Of course, it wasn't their fault for talking about the horrors washing over the Earth Kingdom. It was still their country, even if Zaofu itself seemed like an untouchable bubble of paradise, and many of them had family there. Besides, the whole _world_ was talking about it. It was impossible to miss or to ignore, and her refusing to listen would not make it go away. But there had simply been too much bad news lately—it was in the papers, the radio, even in the uneasy whispers of the residents of their little utopia. The air was thick with it, and it was driving her insane, because she could do absolutely nothing about it. Suyin had made that clear.

Kuvira scowled at nothing. She decimated a completely innocent punching bag, sparred so ferociously with a hapless recruit that he would feel it for the rest of the week, and left several targets with ragged edges of torn metal where their heads should have been. None of this provided her with any considerable measure of relief, and she took her brooding with her to her post in the watchtower that night. She thought of the litany of towns that had been sacked, of the mayhem within the walls of the once great Ba Sing Se, of the grief in Kun's face, and the stars seemed infuriatingly calm and bright, so distant and uncaring for the troubles of the world. She sighed.

For a moment, she wanted nothing more than to be a child again, safe in Suyin's soothing embrace. Things had been simple then. There had been no desperate pleas for help, no chaos, no cutthroats gutting the cities and little farming villages of their rapidly crumbling nation and leaving spatters of red on the earth wherever they went. There had been only the strong walls of Zaofu and Suyin's warm smile, and she had been at peace and entirely content. She had, of course, never fooled herself into thinking that the world was perfect; how could she, when she had seen firsthand just how cruel it could be? No, the world was not kind—but it was hopeful, at least, full of heroes who raged and fought against its cruelty and injustice, heroes like Suyin and the United Forces and the Avatar, and that was more than enough. Or so she had thought.

But she was not a child anymore, and those heroes had fallen.

The Avatar had failed. She had been weak, and her weakness had left the Earth Kingdom in tatters. They had even rescued her, and then she had slunk off to hide at the edge of the world, broken and useless. The United Republic, for all its power, would not come to their aid. Never mind that they lived on what was rightfully Earth Kingdom land, or even that the very purpose of their existence was to maintain order and protect the innocent. No, for all that, this struggle was not theirs, and they would not lift a finger in assistance, although they were perfectly happy to beg and plead with Suyin to do the work for them, because of course they simply could not _bear_ to witness such a terrible _tragedy._

She might have been able to endure those disappointments. They disgusted and pained her, but she could have endured them. She could have accepted that from the world she knew was full of selfish, conniving people who were only good when it would save their own necks or even their petty profits. She could _not_ accept it from Suyin. Suyin who was good and kind and strong. Suyin who had taken her in when no one else cared. Suyin who had fed her and clothed her and told her that she was destined for great things. Suyin whom she loved...

She did not allow herself to finish the thought. It was too much. Even after what Suyin had said, she could not reconcile the image of the woman to whom she owed her life and everything she was with the one who had been so willing to abandon the entire Earth Kingdom and all of its people. It simply did not make sense. There had to be some sort of misunderstanding.

Her feet, unbidden, began to carry her away from her post. The guards she passed in the halls eyed her questioningly, but knew better than to stop her, and said nothing. The clicking of her boots was the only sound in the still night, and it made lonely echoes against the walls until she stopped in front of the elegant doors to Suyin's study. Perhaps she should not have come. In truth, she was more than a little afraid. But she could bear it no longer.

She braced herself and opened the door.

The matriarch of the Metal Clan looked up from her papers in surprise. "Kuvira? Is there something wrong?"

"I need to speak with you," she said, as steadily as she could. "Urgently."

"What is it?" An edge of alarm had crept into her voice. Ever since Aiwei's betrayal, Zaofu was no longer the invulnerable stronghold it had once been in Su's eyes, and she had grown rather nervous. The upheaval in the rest of the Earth Kingdom certainly offered her no comfort.

"I...first, I must apologize for speaking out of turn a few days ago in front of your guests. It was not my place. I'm sorry."

"Oh, is that all?" Suyin practically melted with relief, her shoulders dropping and a beatific smile stretching across her tired features. "It's alright. I'm sorry as well. I should have answered you more kindly. You were only trying to do what you thought was right."

"I should not have spoken out in front of others. But I meant what I said. Our country needs you, Suyin. It needs you desperately—"

Suyin's smile disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"Kuvira," she said slowly, but Kuvira had held in her words too long, and the torrent could not be stopped. She was no longer the stoic Captain she had trained herself so carefully to be. She was the frightened little girl Suyin had first taken in so many years ago, raging blindly against the world.

"You _must_ know what's happening. Chaos in the cities, bandits terrorizing the countryside. You know Kun, that Lieutenant we recruited in the south? His village was raided three days ago. They burned it to the ground. They killed his fiancee."

"Kuvira—"

"And it's not the only one! It wasn't the first and it won't be the last. People are dying and they're going to keep dying. The monarchy can't do anything, the Avatar can't do anything, the United Forces _won't_ do anything—but _you_ can. We have the power to help, and you have the influence. Please, Suyin."

"Kuvira! I've said it before and I'll say it again: what do you think will happen if I march an army across the Kingdom and storm the palace? Do you think people will bow their heads and meekly let us pass? We'll be nothing more than tyrants to them, conquerors taking advantage of the chaos for our own gain. They will fight us, and they'll have every right to."

"We'll fight back!"

"Then we _will_ be tyrants, forcing our ideals on them."

"If not you, someone else will. Someone worse. At least we can restore some semblance of order. At least we can do something besides just waiting for our country to crumble."

"My decision is final. I do not want to hear of this again."

Kuvira was shaking now. Her throat hurt. Her eyes stung.

"The Suyin who raised me would never abandon someone who needed her," she spat.

The anger drained from Suyin's eyes. Instead there was a pained sort of tenderness there.

"I'm not your enemy, Kuvira," she said softly. "I'm not against you. Your heart is in the right place. I know that. I'm _proud_ of it. But this time, you're wrong. Please try to understand."

Suyin placed a gentle hand on her face. The gesture was so familiar and so full of comfort that it stung like a slap. How many times over the years had it made her feel like everything was right with the world, like she could face anything? How many times had she drawn strength and hope from Suyin's words, accepting them like they were a decree fallen straight from the heavens? Part of her wanted very badly to do that now, to surrender herself and feel safe and right in that familiar shadow.

But she could not, even if she wanted to. She looked into the tired lines of Suyin's face and saw not the hero she had always seen but a coward. Somehow she had known how this would end, even though she had refused to acknowledge it. That was why she had been afraid, why she had held her tongue as long as she did. The last of her idols had fallen and shattered like glass, and it had left an empty space she knew would never be filled again. It made her feel hollow and sad and old. She knew, now, what she had to do, knew what she would have to give up and how much it would ache.

But for now she allowed Suyin to wrap her in one last, motherly embrace, and she hugged back with all her might.

"I'm sorry," she said.

It was not a lie.

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* * *

**A/N**: Kuvira is my favorite LoK villain. I thought she deserved a little more nuance, though. I hated how they only really tried to make her more sympathetic by pulling the orphan card at the last episode.

I intend to continue this throughout Book 4 and maybe beyond.


	2. Preparations

Guo Dai was a shrewd man with an unpleasant simper of a smile. Kuvira could have overpowered him easily with both hands tied behind her back, but that fact was of little use to her. He had not arrived in Zaofu by virtue of his strength; he had amassed his fortune by means of cunning and years of what she was almost certain were rather shady business dealings. He was also an important friend of Suyin's, and it had never been Kuvira's place to be anything but perfectly gracious towards him, although her feelings had always fallen somewhere between disdain and disgust. He put her in mind of a wolfrat scampering insidiously in the dark. He probably knew that, but still he sat smiling his unpleasant smile at her like they were dear old friends. It was just as well. Two could play at that game.

"Thank you for taking the time to see me," she said, offering a low bow.

"Not at all. To what do I owe this honor, Captain?"

"Call it a friendly word of advice. I am concerned for your safety, Sir."

"Safety?" Guo Dai leaned forward and steepled his hands. His smile grew yet larger and more wolfish. " What could possibly threaten my safety? Zaofu is impregnable."

"I used to believe that as well." She frowned. "But so was Ba Sing Se. And I'm sure you noticed the unfortunate breach that occurred when the Avatar last graced us with her presence."

"An isolated incident, I'm sure. The Red Lotus is no more, and I have complete faith in your abilities to keep Zaofu secure."

"That's very flattering. I do my best; but I can only do so much, and with the state of the Earth Kingdom..."

"The troubles of the Earth Kingdom are none of Zaofu's concern."

"You may be right. But what about you?" Guo Dai stiffened in his seat. His beady black eyes examined Kuvira carefully as she turned to the map that hung on the wall, tapping thoughtfully on the pins that marked his various properties. "You have farms in the Earth Kingdom, do you not? Factories, perhaps a mine or two?" Kuvira flexed her fingers, and the pins clattered to the floor at her feet. "It's a pity that no one can protect them."

"Are you threatening me?"

"_I_ am not the threat. But I can stop it, if you want me to."

Guo Dai stared pensively at the pins scattered on his floor and the little tears in his map. It was Kuvira's turn to smile. He may have had no love for their country, but he did have quite a bit for his money; rich men were predictable that way. Money was their lifeblood, and anyone who could promise it could bend them as easily as Kuvira bent metal. Whatever debts or friendship this little wolfrat of a man had with the Beifong family would not change that. He would give her what she needed, and he would give it willingly, as all of the others had. In time, she would no longer be forced to rely on their filthy greed to save her nation, but for now she could not help but be grateful for their weakness.

"Consider my advice," she said, as she turned to leave him. "But please consider it quietly."

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* * *

The dome creaked as it unfolded. In the spacious garden of her home, Suyin paced restlessly, gazing at the morning sky. Her husband and sons did a little better concealing their excitement, but when the speck of white appeared on the horizon they, too abandoned their facades. Even Huan smiled a little, and he barely ever smiled. Their mirth, however, quickly turned to concern when the sky bison's rider fell from her seat and began plummeting towards the ground. Kuvira tensed, ready to flatten one of Huan's many sculptures and propel herself upwards.

She did not need to. Opal unfolded her—were they wings?—and glided gleefully down, laughing at the horror in her family's faces. She threw herself into Suyin's waiting arms and kissed her on the cheek.

"I keep forgetting you can do that," Suyin told her wryly. "Welcome home. We've missed you."

"What are you _wearing?"_ Huan asked, aghast.

Opal winced. "It's a glider suit. They've become standard recently. Although they _are_ pretty ugly."

Opal's sky bison landed behind them. Wing and Wei began to harass it immediately and received quick comeuppance when it sneezed on them, covering the twins in a layer of thick green snot. Opal laughed and went to their rescue, and the rest of the Beifong family looked on with a mixture of amusement and disgust.

Many things had changed in the past few months. Opal had not returned since she first ventured to the Air Temple for training, and Zaofu had been a little lonelier without her. Her siblings had grown rather restless with the knowledge that the youngest of them had somehow made a life for herself outside of Zaofu; the fact that this was possible at all set the gears turning in their heads, and there had been some talk of striking out on their own. Her parents had worried constantly. The thought of finally losing her children had sent Suyin in particular nearly into crisis. Opal herself was a completely different creature from the quiet girl who had left. She was lively and fearless and strong now, and Kuvira felt a pang of pride at how much she had grown in so short a time.

They had all changed. The world had changed. But the steady, unquestioning bond of their family was achingly familiar. Kuvira watched at a respectful distance, as she always had. She had never truly been one of them, but they had been kind to her, and that was enough. They were the closest thing to family she would ever have. Soon she would have to give them up, and she would miss them dearly. When that time came, she could not let her emotions interfere with her duty; her heart would have to be steel. Meanwhile she would enjoy what precious little she had left.

"Kuvira! Get over here."

Kuvira complied and found herself on the receiving end of one of Opal's hugs. She smiled despite herself.

"The Air Temple has been good to you," Kuvira said fondly. "You look stronger than ever. I expect a sparring match now that you're a fully-fledged bender." Opal paled and Kuvira chuckled. "I'm only teasing. Unless you're up for it, that is."

"I don't think I'll have the time," Opal replied deftly. "I'll only be here for a day or two."

"Can't the Air nation spare you for a little longer?" Suyin said it lightly, but she could not conceal her disappointment. She had always been a doting mother, and none of her children had ever been apart from her as long as Opal had.

"I'm afraid not." Opal's face fell. "I've actually been sent to see the condition of the Earth Kingdom first hand. Master Tenzin plans to send more airbenders to help out as soon as he can. Is it...is it as bad as they say?"

There was a moment of awkward silence. Kuvira glanced at Suyin. Their eyes met.

"It's bad," the younger Baatar said at last. It was the first time he had spoken. "It's very bad. I don't think you airbenders are going to make a dent. Not by yourselves, at least." Opal bit her lip. Suyin sent her son a weary, reproving look.

"But it's very brave of you to try. I'm sure you'll be able to do some good. And perhaps the testimony of the Air nation will finally get the world to stand together and do something."

Kuvira had said it in an attempt to smooth things over, but she was dead certain that no such miracle would occur. The Air nation was too small to make any real difference even if they decided to break their vows of peace and all swoop in at once, and the United Republic had happily ignored bloodier testimonies to the needs of the Earth Kingdom. Opal, however, was too young and too optimistic to understand this, and was soon smiling and laughing just as she had been when she arrived. Suyin gave Kuvira's arm a grateful squeeze and began to shepherd her family inside with talk of her favorite chef's new creations.

"There's no kindness in hiding it from her," Baatar Jr. said quietly as he passed her. "You know that."

It was, in fact, probably the last kind thing she would do for any of them.

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* * *

Kuvira had climbed relentlessly to reach her position as the Captain of the Guard, and she did not stop once she was there. She was severe in her duty and her discipline, and she expected nothing less from every single person who served under her. She did not tolerate laziness or weakness. She praised loyalty and strength. She was no small part of the reason why so many considered Zaofu to be the most secure city in the world, even more so than the ancient and formidable Ba Sing Se before its descent into pandemonium. As such, she was both feared and loved, although not always at the same time. She was, however, always respected, and so when she called the higher ranking officers to a meeting and demanded their silence, they obeyed.

Their obedience did not mean they were at ease. The room was heavy with their unspoken questions and their anxiety. The Captain did not call secret meetings on a whim, and whatever it was she needed so urgently to talk about was unlikely to be pleasant for them.

"Thank you for coming," Kuvira said crisply. "I trust that you have been discreet. I will ask you to be discreet again. Nothing I say is to leave this room. I need not explain that if you violate this condition, I _will_ know, and you _will_ be punished. _Severely._ Is that clear?"

A series of nervous nods.

"Our nation is dying. The monarchy is crippled, the army has scattered, and the rule of law has all but collapsed. Lords and Generals scheme and fight for control of the rubble. You know of the bandits, the slaughter, the chaos. Many of you have lost homes, friends, loved ones. Many of you _will_ lose them." A few of the guards cast their sad eyes down. Kun, his wounds still fresh, was trembling with emotion. "You are not the only ones. All over our nation our people are crying out in suffering. Their cries have been ignored. The world has failed them and they can wait no longer. The time has come for us to take matters into our own hands."

"How?" Kun whispered. "How could we possibly save the country on our own?"

There were murmurs of agreement. Normally she would have wanted to punish them all for insubordination, but they were right to be worried. Even the most well-intentioned of battles meant nothing if they could not win.

"We are _not_ on our own. I have secured support for our endeavor. We have enough food and weapons to take back Ba Sing Se, and once we do take it, we will have the armies of the Earth Kingdom at our disposal and the blessings of both the monarchy and the United Republic."

Kuvira's words hung in the air. The guards blinked up at her, stunned and awed. They might have thought her brilliant. They might have thought her insane. Either way, they remained silent. The specter of failure, of death, coiled its cold fingers around their hearts.

"I called you here because you are loyal and strong and good. There are none in the world who I hold in greater esteem than you. Still, I will not force you to come with me. If you wish to remain in Zaofu, I will not stop you. Neither will I promise you success. But I _will_ promise you this: if our nation is to survive, if ever our people are to be safe and free again, it must begin with you."

Kun rose with fire in his eyes.

"For the Earth Kingdom!" he roared.

"For the Earth Kingdom!" the room echoed.

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* * *

**A/N:** I won't be able to update very often once the Christmas break is over.

Yes, I know Kuvira has a lot of cheesy speeches. It's a dictator thing. Really. I promise.


	3. An End and a Beginning

Sometimes Kuvira forgot just how beautiful Zaofu was. It had been a labor of love, painstakingly crafted to Suyin's exquisite taste, and that was obvious in every elegant curve and edge of metal. She had lived there almost as long as she could remember, and it seemed as though every bright open square, every garden, every graceful building held a memory. In her childhood she had played on that street, raucous and laughing, annoying the residents who sat quietly in their houses. When she was older, she had danced in that theater and glowed with pride when Suyin had praised her. As a guard she had patrolled every inch of the city until she knew it like the back of her hand. It was _home,_ and that made it more beautiful still. She would miss it.

So it was only natural, if embarrassingly sentimental, that she wanted to bid it a proper goodbye, to lay her eyes on all those dear old places one last time. It was a bittersweet task, but she might still have enjoyed it had she not been followed.

Judging by the vibrations in the ground, her shadow was a tall man of medium build, and he was not very good at what he was doing. His footfalls were much too heavy. Any fool should have known better than to stomp after a master earthbender like that; he may as well have been shouting at her. This particular fool did _not_ know better. He was not even aware that she had sensed his presence more than half an hour ago, and persisted in his feeble attempts at stealth like he was some kind of Dai Li agent.

His incompetence meant that Kuvira was more annoyed than she was genuinely concerned. She doubted that she had been compromised—Suyin was too smart to send a single clumsy oaf after her protege—and even if she had, it was far too late to stop her now. The provisions had been stocked, the airships were ready, and her troops were poised to begin the operation at a moment's notice. She could have left yesterday, if she'd wanted to, but she'd chosen to give herself and the rest of the guards a little time to settle whatever affairs they had. The idiot following her, however, was making it very difficult to focus on her nostalgia. That was a pity. She'd hoped the final hours of her stay would at least be fairly pleasant ones.

Her shadow followed her into an alley, suspecting nothing. Kuvira sighed to herself that he really _was_ an idiot. It was almost insulting how bad he was. Two swift movements of her arms pinned him to a wall by the wrists. She turned to face—was that _Baatar?_

Suyin's eldest son stood completely stunned, his breathing heavy and his wide eyes darting back and forth between Kuvira and the bands of metal on his wrists. He struggled a little. When his bonds did not budge, he made a visible effort to collect himself and opened his mouth. Kuvira narrowed her eyes and held a sharp shard of metal poised in the air, pointed at his throat. Baatar wisely chose to remain silent.

This did not make sense. Suyin could not have sent him. If she wanted to stop Kuvira, she would have sent her best men after her, or even come to do the job herself. Or perhaps this was an appeal to her emotions? If so, why Baatar? Why not Suyin herself? Maybe he knew nothing after all, and this was just a bizarre misunderstanding. How was she even supposed to _know?_ It wasn't as if she could just ask him without giving away her position.

Kuvira sighed and released him.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that." _Especially people like me_, she added to herself. "What on earth were you trying to do?"

Baatar rubbed his wrists gingerly. When he finally spoke it was with a strange, careful precision, as if he were working from a script.

"I know what you're planning, Kuvira," he said.

"And what would that be?" Kuvira began calculating the most efficient way to incapacitate him without leaving him to die.

"Betraying Zaofu. Taking our guards and our airships. Reclaiming Ba Sing Se."

"And I suppose you're going to stop me?" Her voice was a blade, sharp and cold.

"On the contrary, I'm going to help. You need me. I _built _most of your equipment. I know it better than anyone."

"Do you think this is some kind of _joke?" _Kuvira scowled. Her fingers twitched. Baatar missed neither of these things.

"I'm tired of Zaofu," he explained, eyeballing the deadly steel that would put a quick end to him if he said the wrong thing. "I'm tired of my talents being _wasted _on my parents' vanity projects when I could be doing something meaningful with my life."

There was a bitterness in his voice that was alarmingly sincere. She recognized it. It was the same bitterness that had eaten away at her heart in the long nights she had lain awake, feeling powerless and betrayed, thinking of blood-red earth and Suyin sleeping soundly.

She believed Baatar. She pitied him. She wanted to see him stand strong and proud as he fought for what he knew was right. But that did not mean that trusting him was wise. He may have wanted this more than anything _now,_ but that was no assurance that he would be loyal forever. He did not have the iron discipline of the men she had trained and fought beside; she did not know if he could bear the long, hard journey they had ahead of them. She could not control him with money, as she did so many of their 'benefactors'; Zaofu was his wealth. Neither was he bound by duty and love to anyone in the Earth Kingdom; his family was here, and if he left they would hate him, as they would hate her. And Suyin...Suyin would have her heart ripped from her chest. She may have been a coward, but she had been kind as well, and Kuvira did not want her to suffer any more than she had to, if she could help it. What Kuvira had to do would hurt her more than enough.

"Baatar," she said, taking a step towards him. She was startled by how soft and sad her voice was. "You don't need to do this. The Earth Kingdom will be fine, I promise." She placed what she hoped was a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know you mean well, but think of what you're doing. Think of what you're going to lose. Think of your family."

Baatar's eyes went hard. He raised himself to his full height and squared his shoulders, sending her hand sliding back down to her side. She could not stop herself from blinking once or twice in sheer surprise. In all the years she had known him, she had never seen Baatar quite like this. It was like he was a completely different person from the sullen man she knew.

"They're your family too," he said forcefully. The words were like a knife twisting in her gut. "But the fate of our country is far more important than that. You, of all people, should understand. I'm going with you."

Somehow, she found herself very grateful to hear that.

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* * *

Before the sun rose, the central square of the Zaofu's largest dome was buzzing with activity. Lines of guards_—_although they couldn't really be called that anymore_—_marched neatly into the waiting airships, conducted their final head counts, and took off to circle the city until their small fleet was complete. Many of Zaofu's richer residents boarded their own ships, accompanied by small honor guards and the many chests of their belongings. The other citizens stood on the edges of the square in their nightclothes, looking on in alarm.

The rescue of the Earth Kingdom had begun.

From the docking platform, Kuvira surveyed the proceedings with satisfaction. Her men, as expected, executed their duties with perfect efficiency. Even the rich families shuffling along with their bleary eyes were moving at a respectable pace, likely driven by the need to be out of the way before they had to face Suyin. Beside her, Baatar listened to a report over the radio on the speed and stability of their long-unused airships, nodding every so often in satisfaction. Everything was going precisely to plan.

Three shiploads until everyone was safely in the air, the crowd parted to admit a fuming Suyin. Kuvira was not particularly taken aback by this development.

"Continue loading," she told the captain of the vessel that was currently docked. He saluted and obeyed. Suyin's eyes bored holes into his back as she approached the platform, but the full brunt of her fury soon found its true target in Kuvira.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Suyin hissed. The pure rage she wore did not suit her normally gentle features.

"What you _should_ have done," Kuvira answered her calmly. "Saving the Earth Kingdom."

"How _dare_ you? After everything I've done for you? Those are _my_ ships, _my_ guards_—_"

"Those ships are mine, too, mother," Baatar interrupted. Suyin did a double take as she recognized her son. Her mouth fell open. For a moment she was so stunned that she forgot to be angry, and simply stood gaping at him. Kuvira thought that he seemed oddly gratified by this.

"You, too, Junior?" Baatar's satisfaction melted right off his face.

"Don't call me tha_—"_

Kuvira silenced him with a hand on his shoulder. This was not the time for petty family squabbles. If possible, it was better not to antagonize Suyin any more than they already had.

"Those guards have chosen to serve their country and their people, and so has your son." Kuvira descended the platform and presented Suyin with an outstretched hand. "You can, too, Suyin. It's not too late. Come with us. We can rescue our nation together."

It was, in truth, a plea to save their family, but Suyin slapped Kuvira's offered hand away.

"What you are doing will destroy both the Earth Kingdom and my family." Suyin spat it like venom, her lips curled back in the most hateful expression Kuvira had ever seen. Her eyes went from Kuvira to her son and back again. "If you leave now, you will _never_ be welcome in Zaofu again."

Kuvira had hoped against hope that it would not come to this, but she knew the Suyin was not likely to change her mind. She had prepared herself. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, and when she opened them again Zaofu was no longer her home.

"If I do come back, it will be on my own terms," she said quietly. "Goodbye, Suyin."

"Goodbye, mother," Baatar called as he followed Kuvira into their airship.

Suyin watched the ship rise with her hands balled into fists and tears welling in her eyes. She watched the fleet circling her city follow it and disappear into the horizon. But Kuvira did not gaze behind to look as the dome closed and Zaofu shrank into a gray speck beneath them. She did not weep. Instead she turned clear eyes to the sun rising over the clouds, to the golden glory of the new morning that fell on their country, to the beginning of a bright new era.

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* * *

**A/N: **It was fun posting manic daily updates while it lasted. Unfortunately this will be the last. Alas, back it's back to work for me, and the rest will have to come more slowly. They will come, though. Promise. I'll try to do one per week.

Next stop: Ba Sing Se.


	4. Ba Sing Se

The collapse of the Earth Kingdom had been as swift as it was devastating. The death of the Earth Queen, however, was not its cause, but merely its catalyst. Her Majesty Hou-Ting's hold on her country had always been tenuous at best. It was bad enough that she had inherited a nation still struggling with the wounds of a hundred years of war and the loss of vast tracts of land and thousands of people to the newly-formed United Republic in the peace that followed. Her relentless seizure of properties in the name of the Crown, brutal taxes, nepotistic appointments and overall incompetence had only made things worse. The uprisings had started almost as soon as she had assumed the throne and had not stopped since, although they were always crushed with vicious force. All of these things had weakened the foundations of the Kingdom; the Queen's fall was the final crack of thousands, and at last the they crashed down like thunder.

The looting in Ba Sing Se had begun with the palace. Citizens long disgruntled by their poverty swarmed over it and spilled into the homes of the nobles and the rich in the Upper Ring. The city's security forces were so occupied with their duty to the elite and so overwhelmed with the sheer number of thieves and cutthroats and angry common folk that the rule of law simply ceased to exist. With their leaders fleeing to safety and the great treasury pilfered by the desperate hands of rich and poor alike, neither the army nor the city Guard had the capacity to maintain order even if they wanted to. So they fled, or became thieves themselves, or simply gave up, and the mayhem had spread through the city like a cancer.

No one came to the aid of what had so recently been the Kingdom's crown jewel. They all had their own worries to attend to—rebellions to quell, lands and power to grab now that the monarchy seemed to have finally died out. Kuvira intended to change that. Saving the nation's largest city would be a fine end in itself, but what it symbolized was far more important. It would inform every Governor or warlord looking to milk the situation and every frightened citizen looking for security that a central power had returned and the restoration of order was imminent.

Securing Ba Sing Se would be no easy endeavor. Obviously, it would be impossible to imprison every single person who had lifted a finger in wrongdoing, as satisfying as that might have been. Petty thugs and pickpockets were more or less a given, anywhere—in time, she would deal with them as well, but they did not pose the structural threat that the heads of the criminal syndicates and gangs that had muscled their way to dominance and the scheming, treasonous nobles with their little private armies did. Those would do, for now.

Her wealthy "friends" in Zaofu had not only supplied her with provisions. They had something far more precious to offer: information they had come by through the magical powers of gold or their own less than savory connections. This was what would save Ba Sing Se.

The operation would be a series of surgical strikes. The troops had been divided into teams of several highly capable benders each, and every one of these teams had several primary targets. These would be captured alive, detained, and presented to the fat, nervous little Lord Chancellor Kuvira had forcibly fished out of hiding and any officers remaining loyal to the Kingdom that could be found within the city. After that, they would publicly turn control over to her, and the real work could begin.

Kuvira gave the four members of her team a final cursory glance and was satisfied to see them poised at attention.

"Baatar, are all units in position?"

Baatar looked up at her from his seat in front of the radio.

"Affirmative. They await your signal."

"Very good. Inform them that they are to commence immediately."

On saying this she swung out of the airship into the thick cover of the night, rolling to absorb the impact when she hit the roof of her target's safehouse, a large, elegant building in the Upper Ring. A series of soft thuds informed her that her team followed close behind. There were people moving beneath them despite the hour, and the sounds of their arrival, though quiet, sent them out to search uneasily for intruders. Kuvira made a short gesture towards them, and her companions slipped silently down to deal with the threat. Kuvira herself crept along the roof until she found the second window to the right on the Eastern wall of the highest floor and propelled herself inside.

It was dark. Kuvira preferred to see, but she made do with the vibrations of the wooden floor to orient herself. The room was open and spacious with a few chests lining the walls. Forward and to her left was a large bed that had, until recently, been occupied. She knew this because the occupant was standing behind her with his hands raised, ready to strike. The darkness was suddenly broken by his fire.

"Hey, pretty lady," he said pleasantly. "I wasn't expecting company tonight."

He sent two balls of flame flying at her back. Why he chose to live in an almost completely wooden house when this was his first mechanism of defense escaped her. She ducked, throwing a band of metal at him. It missed his arm and buried itself in the wall. He cursed both for his close shave and his ruined antique tapestry before attacking her again, because, as she was quickly learning, he had a rather skewed sense of priorities. She dodged again and retrieved the tapestry-murdering band. This time she threw several in quick succession and succeeded in pinning down his left leg. As he went crashing down he kicked a long line of flame towards her, but it was too late. Now that he was slowed down he did not stand a chance. The rest of his limbs were soon immobile.

She bent his restraints so that his hands were crossed behind his back and his legs were folded under him before standing back to observe her work. He smiled.

The plume of fire he shot from his mouth almost hit her. Its heat licked greedily at her skin. That, of course, simply would not do. The gleam of triumph in his eyes turned to pain as she clamped his mouth tightly shut before he could stop breathing flames. For a moment the metal glowed red over his lips. She was not here to kill him, but the infamous Jade Dragon was widely known to be a very cruel man with a penchant for doing creatively painful things to those who crossed him, and this made the sound of his screams strangling in his throat rather satisfying. For good measure she drew her fingers closed into her palm and tightened the makeshift gag just a little. He squealed. His trembling told her that any further resistance was highly unlikely.

One down, nine to go. And if her calculations were correct, she was right on schedule.

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* * *

The group of high-ranking officials and nobles tiptoed anxiously through the bare halls of the palace. Their unease was fairly justified. Although the palace itself had been thoroughly cleared and more guards than were really necessary walked at their sides, the memory of the Queen's demise as her bodyguards looked on helplessly and the swarming, angry mass of people still at large within the city prevented them from feeling anywhere close to safe. Many of them had not wanted to come, and had to be gently reminded that the abandonment of duty they had chosen as their course of action was, in fact, treason.

As they filed into what had been the Queen's throne room the Lord Chancellor jumped up from his tea and began greeting them with all the obsequious formality that was customary of the court. After the fifth full description of the titles and honors of a guest that had so generously graced their presence, Kuvira had had quite enough. She cleared her throat. The Chancellor squeaked and invited everyone to take a seat. The guards raised the floor to form a makeshift table for them. They did not bother to hide their distaste, but took their places without a word.

"As I'm sure you know, since Her Majesty, ah, passed—great spirits bless her royal soul—the Kingdom has been in a state of..." The Chancellor paused, seeking the least offensive term for the utter pandemonium the nation had fallen into. "Shall we say, unrest? Yes, that's the word. Our own beloved city has fared very poorly. But hope has arrived at last! This woman has come to give us our city back."

The courtiers raised their eyebrows.

"Who _is_ this woman, exactly?" someone sneered. "And how does she plan to do _that? _What price does she demand?"

"Well, um, ah—"

"If I may, Chancellor," Kuvira interrupted. "I would like to speak for myself." The Chancellor was only too happy to oblige, practically drooping with relief as he stepped back to make room for her. The courtiers turned their full attention on her for the first time.

"My name is Kuvira. Until recently I served as Captain of the Guard for the city of Zaofu. I have given up the position with the express intent of restoring the Earth Kingdom, beginning with Ba Sing Se. I ask no price, but if I am to succeed you will unfortunately need to give me absolute authority."

This statement was followed by an immediate and violent uproar.

"_Absolute authority_?!"

"On what grounds?

"Is this supposed to be a coup?"

"Are you _insane?"_

They looked to the unfortunate Chancellor for explanation.

"I am happy to serve under the Crown," Kuvira said firmly, drawing their ears back to her. "But the heir is currently little more than a child, and his Regent has yet to be selected; many of _you_ are likely vying for that position, I'm sure. The current government, yourselves included, has failed. Miserably."

"This is an outrage. You have no right—"

"I thought a demonstration might be in order." Kuvira nodded to a line of guards. They filed out of the room. The courtiers looked on in horror, fully expecting to be murdered where they sat. Perhaps they deserved that, given the suffering their selfishness and failure had wrought, but Kuvira reminded herself that this was a diplomatic mission. They may have been useless idiots, but they were useless idiots who had the power to confer her with a legitimacy that would be recognized across the Kingdom. The guards returned, accompanied by about a score of chained, shackled, and gagged prisoners whose expensive clothes were torn and stained.

"Do you recognize these men?" Kuvira inquired idly. She glanced at the head of the Dai Li, clad in black, and at General Hu, the head of the army. Recognition and disbelief flittered across their faces. The head of the Dai Li stood abruptly and leaned forward, his hands planted on the table as if to support himself.

"It can't be. Is that the Jade Dragon? The Badgermole? Cheng Bo?"

_"Who?_" squeaked one terrified and confused woman.

"These," Kuvira explained, as if she were speaking to a child, "are the heads of the major criminal syndicates that have _actually_ been running the city for the past few months, as well as the leaders of several competing coups attempting to claim the throne for themselves. Look a little closer and you might recognize a few friends."

They were too stunned to protest against the implications of her snide final comment. General Hu looked at her grimly.

"This is impossible. What on earth did you do, sneak an army in?"

"Around three-fourths of Zaofu's guard force rounded them up last night. The entire operation took a little under a month, including planning and intelligence gathering." The head of the Dai Li paled. General Hu began to stutter incoherently. The rest of the officials began whispering amongst themselves. "Of course, there's still quite a bit of work to be done. I'll need your help for that. Chancellor?"

The Chancellor produced a series of scrolls and laid them out before the officials gathered, one for every major department of government.

"These documents transfer the final authority over your offices to me until such time that the rightful heir assumes the throne. The Lord Chancellor has taken care to assure that they are legal and binding. Don't worry; you will keep your positions—under my supervision, that is. You have three days to make your decision, after which you may or may not choose to affix your signatures. Sign, and I will restore the Earth Kingdom for you. Don't, and I will simply go. And then you shall have to deal with the friends of our _guests_ over there."

The officials eyed each other.

"Good day. I look forward to working with you." Kuvira bowed and made her exit. The line of guards and their prisoners followed, clinking as they went.

"Tea, anyone?" the Lord Chancellor offered meekly as the doors closed behind her.

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* * *

In the warm light of the afternoon the streets of Ba Sing Se were full of people scurrying purposefully about with satchels of tools and bundles of wood and bags of their belongings. It was a different kind of chaos from that which the city had experienced in the months following the Earth Queen's death. It was not the chaos of fear and looting and death, but that of life. Citizens were returning to their homes, rebuilding their shops, sweeping away the garbage and broken glass their ordeal had left behind. The Guards of Ba Sing Se had returned to chaperone the proceedings, resuming their long-abandoned patrol routes and bending repairs into the houses and city infrastructure here and there.

"It's amazing," Baatar said. "I can't believe _we _did this. It's like a completely different place, and you haven't even been given formal control yet."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Kuvira chided him. "There's plenty of work to be done here yet. And then there is the rest of the Earth Kingdom to be taken care of."

They should have left long ago to begin that process, but the city officials had requested time to make the transfer of power a public spectacle with all the titles and pomp they were used to. They were also taking the opportunity to make it look as of they had had some sort of role in her intervention and the subsequent stabilization of the city besides being dragged unwillingly out of hiding and wetting themselves. Their intentions had been all too obvious, but she had indulged them. Their involvement, as well as presence of the many dignitaries they had invited to their little ceremony, would be excellent protection against anyone who tried to paint her as some sort of usurper.

In the meantime she had decided to survey the city's progress. Baatar had elected to go with her, and presently they were strolling through a market. Many of the stalls were still abandoned or even destroyed, but some people were already hawking their wares again. The shouts advertising apples and brooms and protective amulets for the best prices in the city were loud enough to make it seem like the market was as crowded and alive as it had ever been. Children took advantage of empty kiosks to play hide-and-seek and rolled marbles over the pavement in the spaces in between.

"I know that," Baatar huffed. "But you have to admit that it's _something_. It's more than any of the idiots who were supposed to run this city could manage. We've done a lot of good."

"Yes. I suppose that's true." Kuvira purchased an apple and sectioned it neatly, handing him half. "Never underestimate the power of a little order, Baatar."

"And why is that, o great Kuvira?"

His tone was a little too teasing for her liking. Had he been merely another one of her guards, she would have scolded him. But he was almost a brother, and he had abandoned everything to be walking through this city with her, so this time she let it slide. She would break him of it eventually.

"Because order begets order. People are really animals at heart; take the order away and that's all that's left. They run wild. But give them order and they will be reminded that they are human again. Often that's all it takes."

"How philosophical of you. I'm sure the guards that could drag them straight to prison if they stepped out of line have nothing to do with it."

"That's part of it. It certainly helps, but you don't have to make them fear that to get them to behave. On the contrary, they rely on it."

"Rely...on being carted off to prison. That makes a lot of sense."

"Not _them. _The people who would harm them. Anyone who would do wrong. They need to know that _someone _is going to protect them. Otherwise they would have no choice but to rely on themselves." She gestured to a man hammering a broken door back into place. A woman who might have been his wife offered him a cup of water, which he took gratefully. "Then anyone can become a criminal. I'm willing to bet both of those sweet little lovebirds looted a shop or two when things got ugly."

Baatar did not seem to understand this. All his life he had had everything he needed, and he probably thought himself a thoroughly upright man because of it. The concept of not knowing where he was going to get his next meal was completely foreign to him; he could not comprehend what had gone through the minds of those people and what it might have made them do. He had a good heart, she was sure, but there was much he still needed to learn about the ways of the world.

"More than being enforcers," she continued, "the guards are a symbol. They remind people that order exists, that they don't _need_ to become animals just to survive."

That was why she had commanded General Hu to relay immediate orders for any guards still loyal to the Kingdom to return at once to duty and patrol the streets. They were not actively looking to arrest everyone who had participated in less than savory activities in the city's time of weakness; they were simply there to let everyone know that after all that had happened the Guard still existed. Once the guards themselves believed it, the other citizens began to believe as well, and the news that so many notorious criminals had been apprehended after months of terrorizing the city had firmly solidified that belief. The fact that those guards had absolutely nothing to do with the actual operation was irrelevant—what mattered was that they once again seemed capable of maintaining the peace. Criminals once again thought them worthy of fear and ordinary citizens once again thought them worthy of respect; both classes of people conducted themselves accordingly.

"And Ba Sing Se is supposed to be the symbol that tells everyone that the Earth Kingdom can be stable again?" Baatar questioned.

"Precisely." Kuvira smirked at him. It was her turn to tease. "Although I have no idea why you decided to come if you just figured that out now."

"I suppose that was what I thought when I left. Not in those words, but something like that. Now I'm not so sure."

Kuvira frowned.

"Oh? What _is_ it supposed to tell them, then?"

Baatar looked at her strangely. Kuvira was suddenly aware that he seemed to be standing minutely closer than he had been a moment ago.

"I think it's supposed to tell them that...that people can choose to step up and make a difference. People like you."

The city's radio broadcast system blared three resounding gongs. An overly cheerful voice invited the general public to witness the swearing-in of the Interim President of the Earth Kingdom in two hours at the central square of the palace. Kuvira quickened her strides and Baatar followed suit, falling into step one pace behind her. For the remainder of their walk they did not speak a word.

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**A/N** Another week, another chapter.

Is there anything you want to see explored as the Earth Empire comes together?


	5. Honey and Vinegar

Twenty-three of the Kingdom's thirty-seven Governors had sworn Kuvira their loyalty in the name of the Crown. Many of them had done rather treasonous things in the past few months. Some had simply neglected to send their men to the aid of Ba Sing Se. The bolder ones had quietly begun preparations to secede. Whatever they had done or wanted to do, they had evidently decided that it was safer to bow to the Crown, at least for the moment. And they all wanted something.

They had plead their grievances in succession. Many provinces had thankfully managed to remain at least fairly stable. The bandits had grown more aggressive, but they could be managed. Far more dangerous were the places where warlords had emerged and cobbled the petty thieves and mercenaries into small armies. Some of these numbered into the hundreds and had taken complete control over certain territories. And then there were the numerous rebellions. Famine was threatening Qing. Not to mention the provinces whose Governors had withdrawn their support from the Crown entirely...

The council had lasted well into the night. By the time it was over she was completely exhausted, and there were still the reports to read about available soldiers and equipment and food stores and infrastructure and a thousand other things that had to be considered before she could even think of doing anything else.

She had known fairly well from the begging what the Kingdom's problems were and even their extents. But to hear them from the lips of the Governors themselves, to face the reality of their under-equipped, scattered army written coldly in ink was a different matter entirely. The sheer enormity of her task suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks.

But if she had doubts, she kept them to herself. There was more than enough doubt as it was. That was the last thing the Kingdom needed. What they required was confidence, the reassurance that things were not so bad as they appeared and would shortly be back to normal. That was the very reason she had begun the whole operation. So if she was irritable and there were dark circles under her eyes, it was because she had spent the night diligently strategizing (which was true enough), and definitely not because her uncertainties had once again kept her awake.

Following her meeting with the Governors had been weeks of careful planning and preparation. The detailed reports they had brought her, while often rather disheartening, were immensely useful. She sent her most trusted men to clear away the small groups of bandits that plagued the more stable provinces, as well as to reorganize the local army divisions and militias. From what she heard, that task was proceeding smoothly without any unexpected complications. That only left the worst of the nation's problems to be taken care of.

Every Governor thought his own issues to be the most urgent. Unfortunately, it was not possible to tackle them all at once, especially since she had little trust in whatever forces had let things get so out of hand in the first place. Choices had to be made. They were not pleasant choices; truthfully, the situation in some provinces was urgent indeed, but she did not have the resources or the large, organized military required to deal with the warlords or larger rebellions just yet.

The first thing to be done was to obtain those resources. They needed a steady supply of food and metal. Access to both had become severely restricted. The metal could be salvaged for now from the army's old equipment; Baatar had taken charge of that and was in the process of transforming it into something more efficient of his own design, although if their force was to grow adequately formidable they would need to take back the mines. Food was a more immediate problem. The army's stores had dwindled since the Queen's death, and with the flow of both money and food slowed to a trickle it was only going to keep dwindling.

So she had decided that their first target would be Chin, the nation's rice granary. It was a prosperous province, and many of the rich, some of her "friends" from Zaofu included, had properties there. That very prosperity, however, had made it a tempting target for bandits. A rebellion had also sprung up, led and bolstered by army defectors. The Governor had fled when the trouble had gotten too close to home, and that had only fanned the fire of the rebellion even higher.

Still, it presented a rather idyllic view as the airship passed over it. It was a land of verdant green plains and gentle rolling hills. The rice fields reflected the sky, blue and peaceful, until the plain was broken by an ugly, jagged brown scar that extended from the fields up the side of a hill. It was a wall of earth and stone that had been haphazardly thrown up. Around it the fields were muddy and trampled, the divisions between them broken in places. There had been a skirmish there. There were many sites like it, some much larger, but it was at this one that the airship began to alight. They had it on good authority that the rebels had their stronghold in a nearby town on one of the hill crests. She could see it from where she stood, surrounded by its own earthen wall.

The ground crew had bent a flat platform for the ships. As soon as her own ship had docked she descended briskly to examine the lines of Mecha suits Baatar had produced. They cut an impressive figure as they towered over her in their shining metal armor. The basic design had been based on a model produced by Future Industries that now served the Republic. Baatar's was slightly larger, the treads replaced by something more closely resembling legs, and the helmet altered. They were designed for maneuverability; she had no intention of plowing through farmland or towns as she might have with tanks. They had enough rebuilding to do as it was. Tests, she was told, had gone fairly well, but this would be the first time they would actually see battle. She hoped things would not escalate to a full-blown fight, but there was no guarantee of that, and in any case a show of force was still necessary.

Baatar looked rather smug as he strode over to her. He had worked tirelessly for weeks on the suits. It was quite possibly the first project he had ever been entirely in charge of, and he had devoted himself to it entirely.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" he remarked. He was rather too pleased with himself for her liking.

"Yes, but will they survive?"

"What do you mean?" Baatar frowned. "Of course they will. I've tested them extensively—"

"Very well. Prepare to move out. The suits will lead the formation. I trust you, Baatar."

Her trust was not given lightly. Baatar knew that. His expression became more solemn as he nodded to her.

She left him and began issuing orders. There was a flurry of activity as her troops hurried to comply, moving into formation in their respective units. The Mecha suits made up the first line, followed by the earthbenders and finally the non-benders. They marched warily down into the valley and up the hill until the wall loomed close ahead. It was not a particularly advantageous position, she knew, but they did not have much choice.

They stopped. She took a microphone and prepared to demand surrender.

She did not even get to open her mouth.

Boulders began flying at them from behind the wall in alarming numbers. Her own benders moved forward to deflect them. A few, herself included, charged forward to dismantle the wall. As it went down, she could see the faces of their assailants, grim and twisted in concentration. They tried to bring the wall back up again—they had no plans of engaging. Evidently the rebels simply planned to wear them out. She did not know how many of them there were, but with the high-ground advantage it looked as if their plan was going to work.

The boulders were tossed back and forth over their heads. She did not know how many of theirs hit their targets behind the wall, but she saw very distinctly how one or two mecha suits were hit, fought desperately for balance, and fell, rolling down the hill with smoke and sparks flying off them. She cursed. This was supposed to be a show of force, but at the moment it felt more like a tug of war that they weren't winning. They did not have brute force on their side as she thought they would. It was time for a change of strategy.

She was going to level the playing field. Literally.

"Forward!" she commanded.

The guards of Zaofu would have obeyed immediately, but these were Earth Kingdom soldiers, and several in the immediate vicinity looked at her as if she were insane. She glared at them in such a manner as to say that if the enemy did not kill them, _she_ would, and they did as they were told. The others came struggling up the hill in a wave. She motioned for them to hug the wall as closely as possible. There was some confusion on the enemy side as they did so. They were too close to hit without collateral damage, and they did not want to tear down their precious wall so they could engage her forces directly.

"Baatar!" she yelled into the sudden silence. For a moment there was no response, and then one of the non-benders hobbled forward out of the crowd with Baatar leaning on his arm. There was a gash on his forehead, but otherwise he appeared more disoriented than anything. She hoped the hit he'd taken to the head would not interfere too greatly with his thinking.

"Baatar," she said. He winced at her. "I need to know if those suits of yours can withstand a fall of about thirty feet."

"What?" he asked, gaping.

"Your suits. Can they withstand a fall of about thirty feet without injury to the pilot?"

"I—they weren't built for that—"

"That was a yes-or-no question. Answer quickly."

"Probably?" She narrowed her eyes. "I think—yes?"

"Pilots, come forward!"

The suits obeyed and cracked open, their pilots looking out with wide eyes.

"Listen carefully," she said, quietly so that the enemy would not hear her. "We are going to propel you over the wall. We will do it as gently as possible, but once you're over we cannot help you. You will have to take care of the landing yourselves. Once you are inside, we need you to draw their fire. Understood?"

They nodded. She turned away to face the slope of the hill and adopted a solid stance, calling the earth upwards. Beads of sweat began to collect on her brow. Her muscles ached and strained. She'd grown used to metal over the years; she had perfected its cold precision and the strange combination of force and delicacy that it required, and the sheer, brute strength that commanded earth had grown unfamiliar. The hill groaned and strained against her pull. It felt like it wasn't going to move at all, but suddenly the ground began to shake beneath her feet. The slope of the hill grew less and less steep until they stood on a short, flat plain with a sharp cliff at the end. She let her arms fall and stood, breathing heavily. Now the suits were no longer in danger of falling off-balance and rolling away uselessly . The other earthbenders, seeing this, rapidly began their work. The mecha suits went flying over the wall, and there was chaos on the other side.

With their enemies occupied they were at last able to flatten the wall. They drew the earth towards them, dragging the rebels with it, splitting their tight formation so they were forced to fight face-to-face. With the high ground gone and their companions scattered through the battlefield, their enemies could no longer throw boulders at her men with wild abandon. The mecha suits held their ground, spraying walls of fire and drawing the rebels into small, tight groups with their backs pressed against each other.

Soon, it was finally over. The rebels knelt within a circle of mecha suits and earthbenders, aware that they had been soundly defeated. She wiped the sweat from her brow and composed herself before facing them.

"Now, which one of you is in charge?" she asked calmly.

A man stood. He was tall and well-built, with dark skin and defiant eyes. A soldier dragged him towards her and pushed him back down to his knees.

"You may have beaten us," he said solemnly, "but there are others. Chin will be free."

Cheers erupted around him. Her men looked at each other and at her with unease.

"Orders?" the soldier who had brought the rebel leader to her asked. His hand hovered over the knife at his waist.

"Tea," she said, "for myself and this gentleman here."

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* * *

They sat in a house beside the town's main street, sitting cross-legged at a low table. A pot of tea steamed between them.

The rebel leader's name was Yang. He was a farmer's son, but the military had been his profession until he had defected in the wake of the Earth Queen's death. This was all that she knew from the intelligence the Governor had given her, but she strongly suspected there was more to him than that. At the moment he was looking at her with an unmistakable hint of confusion in his hard eyes. He probably expected her to torture him. It was, admittedly, a fair expectation, but she had other plans.

Suyin had told her once or twice, when she was young, that you caught more flies with honey than with vinegar. At the time Suyin had simply been trying to convince her to be a bit more sociable; Kuvira highly doubted that this advice was ever supposed to extend to negotiating with rebels, but there it was.

"Do you know who I am?" she inquired.

"You're the Governor's dog. That's all I need to know," he answered. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I am the interim President of the Earth Kingdom, actually," she corrected, scanning his face for a reaction, "But enough about me. Would you care to tell me why you chose to commit treason?"

"I'm not going to tell you _anything,_ so don't bother."

"I'm not going to ask you where the others are hiding. I already know that."

He made no reply. She sighed.

"I'm not going to torture you," she said irritably. "I'm not going to kill you, either. I could have done that a long time ago if I wanted to." She bent a band of metal into a sharp point and let it hover between his eyes, and then dropped it within his reach. "But that isn't what I want."

"Then why did you attack us?" he snapped.

"I seem to recall that you shot first," she replied brusquely. "What kind of response were you expecting? Was I supposed to just run away with my tail between my legs?" He did not appear to know what to say to this. "All I want is to know what made the people of Chin so dissatisfied that they chose to turn their backs on the Crown. You were a soldier, weren't you? Why did you defect?"

Yang leaned back in his seat. He was no longer looking at her. He was looking past her into something only he could see. When he spoke his voice was heavy and bitter.

"The people of Chin are good people," he said. "We gave what was asked of us. We did not complain. In return we expected to be protected, and we were not. The bandits came, and the Governor had us defend his friends and himself. He would have had us leave our families defenseless. Why should we bow to such a man?"

"Why, indeed?" she mused. "I don't suppose your people would take it kindly if he were to be restored to power."

"No, they would not." His face was grim. "Chin will be free. We will fight."

"If you fight," she told him flatly, "many of you will die. Unfortunately, it will be my job to make sure of that. But I'd rather not do that if I can help it."

"I already told you that we aren't going to surrender."

"I am not asking you to surrender. I am asking you for peace."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I could take this place by force. I could kill your men and raze your fields and hand the ashes back to the Governor. But what would be the point of that? I do not serve the Governor; I serve the Crown, and the Crown serves the people. If the Governor gets in the way of that, then he is a traitor to our nation."

Yang began to gape at her as the implications of what she was saying dawned on him. She rose and stood beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I want Chin to be safe and happy again. Can you help me do that? Can you protect this province in the name of the Crown?"

"How do I know this isn't a trick?" Hope and suspicion warred for control of his face. She laughed.

"You can watch me sign the document transferring power to whoever it is you people choose. Within the day, if you'd like. Other than that, I'm afraid you'll just have to trust me. Of course, I'll need to be able to trust you as well. Your people followed you away from the Crown, but will they follow you back?"

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* * *

When they emerged from their little meeting, they bowed to each other in the sight of all. The Mecha suits and soldiers withdrew from their circle and returned to their initial formation. The rebels looked to each other in confusion. Yang ran to them, waving a scroll bearing the seal of the Kingdom. They listened, enraptured and disbelieving, as he read the contents, and then began a clamorous discussion that lasted several minutes.

In the meantime, she sought Baatar, and found him woefully examining a heavily beaten mecha suit. The gash on his forehead had been bandaged and he seemed to have fully regained his wits.

"I thought," she said rather icily, "that you tested them."

"I _did," _he replied, despairing. "I'm not sure what happened. I thought I had the counter-balancing mechanism all worked out, and this _armor..." _At the word he rubbed his forehead gingerly.

"I don't have to tell you that we can't continue to use them in this condition. Next time, I shall be sure to oversee the testing myself. And when will the next time be?"

Baatar looked thoughtful.

"I'd say it would take me a couple of weeks to revise the design. Unless..." His face twisted as if he had eaten something very bitter. "Unless we bring in an _expert."_

She did not like the way he said that. There was only one person who both fit that description and could elicit that expression.

"Please," she bit out, pinching the bridge of her nose in irritation, "tell me you're not talking about _him."_

"I don't like it any more than you do, but yes. _Him."_

She nearly released a frustrated groan, but composed herself when she noticed that the rebels had broken apart and were beginning to approach her. They had, unsurprisingly, selected Yang to lead them. She was not opposed to this choice. He was, it seemed, a decent man, humble and not cruel. Unlike the fat, expensively clothed man he was replacing, he knew and cared for his people. He was also, judging from their earlier skirmish, a fairly capable military commander. He could probably manage their bandit problem.

Thankfully, she had managed to get this far into her plan without bloodshed. The rebels were as cooperative as she could have hoped, aside from their first encounter. But Chin was not safe yet. They had yet to see whether _all_ the rebels would take as kindly to the settlement. And then there was the matter of the Governor's militia. Whether they were loyal to the Crown or to him, she did not yet know, and the answer could mean another set of battles. Even after Chin was secure, she would have to deal with the reaction back in Ba Sing Se. They would not take kindly to her interfering with the supposedly untouchable nobility. And of course she would have to make sure that their equipment was in proper order, and that meant dealing with _him._

At least for the evening, however, her work was done. Out of hospitality or suspicion, likely the latter, the rebels insisted that she stay within the town until the document was signed, and all that she could do was radio the provincial capital to determine whether or not a battle with the militia awaited her in the morning.

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* * *

**A/N** This one's a bit late.

It seems as though things are really starting to pick up in the EK.


End file.
